Hole in "Licensing Fabric"
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THE beginnings of "a great hole in the fabric of licensing" were observed by Mr. W. E. Macve, NorthWestern Licensing Authority, in a case at Manchester last week.
Messrs. E. Entwistle and Sons, of Great Lever, Bolton, applied for a B licence for one 2-ton vehicle, which was said at present to be operating on a C defence permit. A customer of Messrs. Entwistle gave evidence of need, and supporting letters from two other Bolton concerns were read.
Among the objectors was the Bolton Transport and Trading Co., which was stated to hold an A licence for three vehicles. Mr. Joseph Gerrard, the manager, said that 49 Bolton hauliers were shareholders in the company and that over 200 vehicles weee available for haulage work on A or B licences.
The company was incorporated in 1943, and in 1944 acquired the business of Mr. J. Whittaker, and thereby became a licensee. Mr. Gerrard said that no customer had been refused. He disapproved of Mr. Macve's suggested description of the business as a "clearing house."
Mr. J. A. Dunkerley, for the Boltoa Transport and Trading Co., said that Messrs. Entwistle had become hauliers for the first time during the war, and now asked for permission to continue that work. Need, he said, had to be proved. • Mr. Macve commented: "What you are asking me is virtually to take away from these people the vehicle which they are operating at the present time. I have to have regard for the fact that these people are doing work at the present time which cannot be, or is not being, done by anyone else."
He added that if Mr. Dunkerley's contentions were right, hauliers would merely have to form themselves into a trading company, which was another name for a clearing house, to exchange work and then say: 'We have knowledge of facilities for haulage contracting and we can do this work."
In answer to questions by Mr. Macve, Mr. Gerrard said that the Bolton company's pool of vehicles was fully employed, but that the shareholders owned additional vehicles which were not in the pool. He did not know how far these lorries were employed.
In reserving 1..V decision, Mr. Macve declared that he wished to consider the question of a "clearing house" entering
an objection If any Bolton haulier applied for increased tonnage, he would have to supply specific figures of the tonnage that was being hired by the applicant to the Bolton Transport and Trading Co.